Word processing systems allow the creation of textual documents in an electronic medium. Words can be electronically added to, deleted from, or modified within a document. In addition, the format of a document, such as character type and size and line spacing, can be electronically changed. Graphics or pictures can also be incorporated into the body of text in the document.
It is frequently desirable to add reference information or comments to a document, regardless of whether the document is created by word processing or in some other manner. Reference information can be included by the author of a document. A common manner for an author's reference information to be included is by footnotes. Reference information can also be included by one or more readers. A reader of the document may wish to edit the document or else to add comments thereto, for either the author's or the reader's benefit.
With prior art word processing systems, reference information can be added by footnotes. Alternatively, prior art word processing systems allow reference information to be added to the body of text making up the document. The reference information can be visible within the body text, wherein the reference information is separated from the text in the body by delimiters. The reference information can also be normally hidden. Viewing the reference information causes the reference information to appear in the body text and to obscure underlying portions of the body text from a user's view.